Because You Care
by queen-of-the-arts
Summary: This is a story that came from a series of writing exercises that I did recently involving the character, Giriko from the anime, "Soul Eater" and my OC, Rael Kess. I have a story in progress where they're brothers but I thought it would be fun to explore what would happen if they were sweethearts instead. If you read both stories let me know which dynamic you like best. Thanks!


**Because You Care**

_A few things you need to know about the story before you read it. This was originally just a series of writing exercises that I put together to make one story. I wanted to try my hand at writing a boy love story. I have a story about Giriko and Rael already in which they're brothers but I thought it would be fun to try things with them as sweethearts instead. _

_If you haven't read my other story you might be a little confused by Rael's weapon powers. He is able to generate blades, basically like shurikens, except that his are shaped like playing cards. They almost always take the appearance of an ace of spades, which has earned him the nickname Ace._

_Another thing of note is the fact that this is the first time I've used vernacular. Please let me know if Rael's speech is too hard to understand so that I can work on a different way of writing it down. If it seems to work out I'll go back and use it on my other stories._

A pair of keen gray eyes watched as Giriko tossed his gear on the ground under a tree and bent over to unroll his sleeping bag. He whirled around at the sound of a soft whistle, however. "What?" the chainsaw snapped irritably.

Rael Kess, the owner of the twinkling eyes winked and clucked his tongue. "Just enjoyin' da view."

"You mean you're…"

"Checkin' ya out? Yeah. Ya got a nice ass under dose jeans!"

Giriko's face reddened but Rael couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or anger. He suspected it was both. The chainsaw spluttered incoherently for a moment and finally, unable to think of a suitable response, flashed a rather rude hand gesture at his companion before flopping down onto his sleeping bag and turning his back to him.

Kess laughed loudly as he shook his head. "Most people just say 'thanks' ya know?"

"Why should I thank an annoying little pervert for 'checking out' my ass?'

"Who you callin' little?" Rael snapped with a frown.

Giriko groaned inwardly. What was wrong with this kid? He didn't care about being called annoying or a pervert but he resented a crack about his height? This guy was a real freak show! "Never mind," he grumbled by way of reply.

They were silent for a few moments before Rael piped up, "Ya gonna build a fire? It's gettin' chilly out here."

"Not unless you want me to catch that damn priest's attention and call him right to us. He is still hunting us or did you forget that little fact?"

Rael sighed and pulled his blue jacket tighter about him. "Alright, I see yer point." He shivered slightly but his youthful face brightened at a sudden thought. "What did ya do with dose flasks ya had earlier?"

Giriko's cranky expression softened slightly as he rolled over and yawned. "In my bag over there."

"Don't trouble yaself. I'll get it," Ace said, rolling his eyes when it became evident that Giriko wasn't going to move even though the bag was within his reach. After rummaging around in the chainsaw's pack for a moment Rael pulled out two flasks that were nearly full. He tossed one to Giriko. This done, he settled back down onto his sleeping bag and unscrewed the lid. Taking a sniff, Kess wondered what sort of liquor was inside. It must have been something quite potent, however, because by the time they had emptied both containers they were laughing together as if they were best friends, all their previous animosity forgotten.

"So ya sawed da roof off da limo _and_ da guy's hat?" Rael giggled as he listened to Giriko talk about his boss' butler, Mosquito.

"You should have seen his face," Giriko laughed. "Priceless!"

"I bet! Good for ya!" The card player clapped the demon chainsaw on the back, a bit harder than necessary which sent Giriko stumbling forward awkwardly. He then proceeded to trip over his pack and ended up sprawled out in the dirt. For an instant it looked as though he might react in his usual ferocious manner, but when he turned and saw Rael's sides shaking with silent laughter he burst out laughing as well. Before long they were both rolling on the ground with tears in their eyes.

After quite some time the camp was once again silent. Giriko finally managed to get back onto his feet. "Hey, a little help?" came a voice. Rael had his hand outstretched and a sheepish grin on his face. His companion rolled his eyes and took hold of his hand. Instead of getting Kess into a standing position, however, they both lost their balance and Giriko ended up falling on top of Rael.

Now they were nose to nose staring into one another's eyes. For once both of them were speechless. After a long moment the Czech assassin seemed to wake as if from a trance and sat up with a confused and somewhat frightened look on his usually harsh face. Rael, meanwhile, lay where he was. His chest was heaving and his heart was pounding. His face felt hot and though he tried to look away, he couldn't tear his eyes from the man who up until recently he'd loathed. Staring at him the way he was, even drunk, Rael was unable to miss how uncomfortable the other weapon looked. Swallowing hard, he spoke in a whisper, "Giriko…" He paused when he received no answer. "Giriko," he repeated in a little bit louder voice. Again there was no reply so he placed a gentle hand on the chainsaw's shoulder, which was immediately shaken off.

"Don't," was the murmured reply. He didn't exactly seem angry like Rael was afraid he would be. He just seemed dazed and somewhat agitated.

Unsure what to do but still concerned Rael again placed a very gentle hand on the other man's shoulder. This time there was no reply but there was also no resistance. Emboldened by this small success, Kess carefully turned his fellow weapon around to face him. "Giriko," he murmured softly, "I… I…" For one of the rare moments in his life Rael Kess was astonished to find that he couldn't find the words he wanted.

"It's okay," he finally managed to mumble and patted the shoulder his hand had been resting on. This only seemed to make things worse as the demon weapon's shoulders began to tremble beneath his touch. Now what was he supposed to do? In his haste, he simply said the first thing that came to mind, the last thing he'd been thinking about before things had gotten uncomfortable. "Ya have beautiful eyes!"

That did not go over well. "Don't!" Giriko's voice cracked as he shouted. "Don't flirt with me!"

"But it ain't just flirtin'. I really mean it. In fact I _really_ like ya." Rael's eyes were soft as he slowly reached out to touch the face of the man he was finding himself so attracted to. Bad move!

Giriko slapped his hand away and then before Rael had a chance to react his face was burning where it too had been smacked. "I don't want to hear that from you!" the demon chainsaw screamed. "I don't need you to like me! I don't _want _you to like me!" His whole body was trembling and he was breathing heavily.

"What da hell was dat for?" Rael waited but when he got no response he let out an awkward chuckle before continuing. "Ya really need ta learn ta take a compliment!" When there was still no response apart from an icy stare he decided to try once more, being serious this time. "Guess I misunderstood ya when ya got upset about me flirtin' with ya. I thought you were mad 'cause ya thought I was makin' funna ya or somethin'. I thought ya were doubtin' whether I was sincere or not but what's upsettin' ya is…"

"That's the whole point," Giriko interrupted with a snarl. "I don't want to hear how sincere you were about it! That's what bugs me! I'd have liked it better if you were just screwing around like you do with everybody else."

Rael's eyes were wide with confusion. "Ya… ya want me ta lie ta ya?"

"No!" Giriko could see that Kess still looked confused. "Damn it! Don't you get it, you idiot? I don't want you to like me at all! Try to get this through your thick skull. I'm not your friend. I'm not even traveling with you because I want to. You're annoying! You talk too much. That stupid accent of yours hurts my ears. Your flirting was irritating enough when I thought it was just that and…."  
"Just get ta da point," Rael said in a tense voice.

"The point is why the hell would I want you in love with me when I _hate_ you?" Giriko's voice was filled with malice as he hissed the words at the suddenly deflated looking Kess.

Rael was stunned. He knew he shouldn't be. Giriko had always been hostile towards him and yet he had somehow gotten it into his head that it was mostly an act. Underneath it all, he probably didn't mind him. He was probably acting that way out of habit or as a kind of game. Surely if Kess' feelings about Giriko had changed then the other man must have changed his mind too, right? How could he have been wrong? Rael was usually pretty good at reading people and then telling them what they wanted to hear. How had he failed so miserably this time? Maybe it was the simple fact that he was drunk. Then again what did it matter? He'd screwed up and now he was going to have face Giriko day after day on their journey and know that he hated him.

Suddenly his self-pity and depression vanished as feelings of anger and frustration flooded over him. The demon chainsaw had a lot of nerve! He'd never done anything to deserve his scorn. In fact, he'd been the one who warned Giriko about Justin Law's raid of the town where they both lived. He'd possibly saved the other man's life!

Rael struggled to his feet and followed after Giriko who'd started to walk away. "Hey," he called in a voice that was both cold and commanding.

The chainsaw turned and looked at Kess. "What?"

"Ya can't leave now. We still got business ta attend ta." His gaze was icy as he stared up at the taller man.

"Like what? Oh and just for the record," Giriko said in a voice just as cold as Rael's, "I can leave whenever the hell I want to."

"Yeah, I s'pose dat's true. Wouldn't wanna bore ya, so I'll skip da small talk and just get right down ta it." As he spoke he drew back and punched Giriko in the face.

Blood began to trickle from Giriko's nose as he stood there in stunned silence. That little creep had actually hit him! He hadn't been expecting that. "You little bastard! You'll pay for that," Giriko growled as he wiped the blood from his nose.

"Dere ya go again with dat 'little' shit again! Personality's what counts and mine's…"

"Yours is nauseating! Now shut up and fight! That is what you want isn't it?"

"Of course it is! What'd ya think I hit ya for?"

"Well that's just fine. I've been itching for a good fight lately. Been too long since I got to kill anything!" He took a swing at Rael, catching him just above the eye. All-out war ensued then! Fists and feet were flying everywhere. Card shaped blades whizzed through the air and the roar of a chainsaw shattered the night's silence.

"Gonna have to be quicker dan dat," Kess taunted as he jumped out of the way of one of Giriko's kicks.

"And you better improve your aim," the chainsaw snapped back. "Those stupid cards haven't hit me yet! I thought you said you were good! All talk about that too, huh?" His razor sharp teeth glittered as his lips curved up into a nasty grin.

"I don't hafta brag about my skills. Dey speak for demselves." With that he tossed a blade shaped like the ace of spades as hard as he could at his opponent's head.

Giriko managed to kick a leg over his head in time to deflect the blow but with his reflexes slightly delayed by the alcohol he wasn't quick enough to catch the blade with the chains. Instead it sliced through the skin of his calf, narrowly missing the muscle! He fell to the ground with a piercing cry.

The sound reverberated in Rael's head and instantly snapped him back to reality. What had he done? He stared wide-eyed down at the man sprawled in front of him with helpless panic welling up inside him. "Oh my… sh-shit," he muttered under his breath. He could see tears shining in the chainsaw's brown eyes but refusing to fall. Even in his pain he was too proud to cry! Seeing this somehow helped Kess gain control of his emotions. If the other man could keep it together with his leg bleeding everywhere then so he could he. He needed to do something.

Removing his belt as quickly as he could Ace knelt beside Giriko and reached for his wounded leg. "We're gonna put dis above da cut to stop da bleeding, 'kay?" Whether it was a spiteful payback or just a defensive reflex Rael was never sure but as soon as his fingers touched his wounded leg, Giriko's other leg struck out at him catching him in the head, leaving a gash along his cheek. Kess cried out in pain as he was knocked backwards. Pressing a hand to his face he glared at Giriko. "What da hell's wrong with ya? I'm tryin' ta help ya," he shouted as he struggled to his feet.

"You sliced my leg open, you little shit! How is that helping me?"

"I meant right now. I can't stop da bleedin' if ya won't let me touch ya." Rael slowly peeled his hand away from his face as he spoke and gazed at the blood that covered it. He sighed quietly and slowly he reached for the belt. "Gonna try dis again, kay?"

Giriko frowned. He really didn't want Rael touching him at all but he also knew that Kess had a point. He needed his leg treated and he needed it now. Clenching his teeth, he nodded and tried to focus on something else while he waited for the pain he knew would come with the application of pressure.

With blood still trickling down his cheek, Kess gently wrapped the belt around the demon chainsaw's leg and pulled it tight. Giriko yelped and sucked his breath in sharply but that was all. Rael gazed at him in awe. How could he be so calm when he was in so much pain? It was just like a moment ago when he was able to fight back the tears. How was a man who was so volatile, who seemed to have little control over his emotions, exerting so much control over his responses to pain?

As he sat there watching the progress of the compression on Giriko's leg, Rael noticed that the other weapon had closed his eyes and appeared to no longer notice his presence. It was almost as if he was in a trance. "Are ya alright," Rael asked in a quiet voice.

Without opening his eyes, Giriko replied in the affirmative.

"What are ya doin'?"

"Shifting my focus. Why?"

"Can I ask ya somethin'?"

"You always do no matter what I say."

Rael smiled. "Yeah, I s'pose I usually do, don't I? I was wonderin' how do ya manage to stay so in control?"

"You mean how come I'm not crying like a little baby? That's simple enough. I'm a fighter. You don't learn to be good as me without making a lot of mistakes and getting hurt a bunch of times, right? You learn little tricks. That's all." Giriko looked smug as he spoke. He liked knowing that he'd impressed that arrogant kid. Maybe it would put him in his place for a change.

"Yeah I understand that, but what are da tricks?" Rael shifted his eyes to gaze as the dirt. "I'd like to learn ta do dat."

Giriko laughed. "That's my secret."

Kess looked disappointed but was silent for a moment. Giriko could see that he was thinking. When he spoke again his tone was thoughtful. "It's obviously got somethin' ta do with the trance ya put yerself in but what I wanna know is what are ya thinkin' about?"

"You sure are a nosey bastard aren't you?" He was still smiling smugly but the smile vanished from his face in an instant when he tried to shift positions and a stab of pain like a bolt of lightning shot through his leg. He groaned and bit his lip to keep from making any other sound. This was the wrong thing to do as his sharp teeth punctured his bottom lip. He swore loudly and looked at Rael expecting to see the younger man laughing at him. Instead he saw there was look of concern on his face.

"Careful," Kess murmured and placed a hand on Giriko's arm. "Are ya okay?" Before the chainsaw could make a sarcastic comment Rael corrected himself. "No, I guess yer not. I…" Ace found himself at a loss for words. What were you supposed to say to someone who was in pain because of you? He breathed a sigh and just shook his head softly.

Giriko blew his breath out heavily and closed his eyes again. Rael then remembered his question. "Maybe it'll be easier if ya have somethin' else to think about besides da pain. Why don't ya talk to me? Tell me how you control yer body that way."

The demon chainsaw chuckled half-heartedly. "You just said it. It's all about shifting your focus to something besides the pain."

"Oh. Dat's cool. Well yer gonna wanna go ahead and do dat right now. Da bleedin's slowin' down and I need ta stich da wound up. It's gonna hurt."

"You think I've never had stiches before, kid? Hell, I've done them to myself before." He noticed Rael's eyes grow wide. "I didn't exactly train with anyone since I was hiding out. I had to do a lot of shit by myself."

The card blade wielding weapon looked impressed once again. "Yer a pretty tough guy, Giriko. Well grit yer teeth, pal. Here we go." Kess began to sew the deep gash closed as quickly as he could. He was amazed to see that his companion seemed to feel little pain. "It's all mind over matter, huh? Cool! Think I can learn ta do dat? Dere we go. All done."

Giriko's brown eyes blinked open once again and he breathed a sigh. "Depends on how strong your will is," was his simple reply.

Rael gently patted the chainsaw's arm. "Good job tough guy. Ya made it through all da hard stuff. Now all ya gotta do is get some rest so dat it can heal. C'mon, let's lay ya down."

"I don't need your help." The weapon whimpered quietly as he struggled to lay back with his head on his pack.

Ignoring his words Kess helped ease him down onto his sleeping bag. "Dere we go. Nice and comfy."

Giriko rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure."

Rael laughed but his voice was quiet and gentle as he spoke. "Get some sleep now."

The chainsaw closed his eyes without a word and lay still for a time. His leg was throbbing and it was hard to sleep no matter how hard he tried. After a time he let his eyes blink slowly open thinking he would just stare up at the stars, maybe count them, until he fell asleep.

He glanced over at Rael expecting to see him asleep on his own sleeping bag. Instead he saw him pressing a strip of cloth to his cheek and staring watchfully at him. He quickly closed his eyes again. Why was the kid staring at him that way? Then he realized that Rael was keep watch. He was making sure that Giriko slept through the night without incident. He was playing nurse. Idiot! He ought to be sleeping too. Giriko knew they were both exhausted after being on the run for weeks. What a moron, he thought to himself and yet something inside him felt a little comforted knowing that the other weapon was keeping an eye on him, even as he slept. With that thought Giriko felt sleep beginning to overtake him at last. Under Rael's watchful gaze he was soon fast asleep.

_Since this was just an exercise I didn't do a good job of connecting the parts of the story together. Some time has passed and our heroes are still on the run together. A romance is blossoming, though Giriko is still uncomfortable and afraid of caring for anyone, especially another man. _

Pale hands rested gently on Giriko's hips, fingers lightly brushing the skin of his low back. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut, as if he was afraid to look into the face of the other man. "Shh," Rael whispered at the feeling of tension throughout the chainsaw's body. "It's alright, Koko." This was a name he'd taken to calling his companion somewhere along the way, with the knowledge that it drove him crazy. Tonight, however, Giriko did not react. "Don't be scared."

Rael might have made some other soothing remarks given the chance but the demon weapon cut him off. "I'm not scared! I'm not afraid of anything. What makes you think I'm…"

Kess placed a slender finger over Giriko's lips. "Relax. I wasn't insultin' ya. Ya just seem tense. Tryin' ta make ya feel better."

"I don't need you to make me feel better. I'm fine," the weapon said, though he didn't look as confident as he sounded.

"Is dat so? Well den ya won't mind if I do dis," Rael said quietly as he reached a hand up and gently pulled Giriko's face closer to his own, pressing his lips against the chainsaw's. Giriko's eyes widened and he made a muffled little sound of protest but before he could push Kess away, something happened in his mind that seemed to make time stand still. Suddenly he was aware of so many sensations and feelings. He felt the warmth and softness of Rael's lips. He could feel the rise and fall of the other demon weapon's chest and even the beating of Kess' heart against his own. He felt a strange sense of pleasure and an inexplicable desire for the experience not to end. What was happening to him? He had always hated the other man, hadn't he? Why on earth would he want this to continue?

Still feeling as if time was standing still Giriko stared at Rael for what felt like a long time but was really only seconds. The younger man's eyes were closed and his arms were now wrapped around Giriko's neck. Giriko couldn't believe how happy he looked. He had assumed that Rael's interest in him had merely been the result of being drunk that night but here they were, completely sober and wrapped in one another's arms. So the kid was serious after all.

That wasn't enough of a reason for Giriko to change his mind about him however. What else could it be? Then it dawned on him. Even after the things he'd said and done that night Rael hadn't run off and left the chainsaw alone and suffering out there in the forest. He'd still acted like a friend, tending to Giriko's injured leg and watching over him at night.

The card wielding weapon had also been the one to warn him about that damn priest's search for him. Kess had gone out of his way to help him. He actually seemed to care about him. This was something Giriko wasn't used to. He'd never mattered to anyone. To his parents he'd simply been a way to pass on the thoughts, memories, and bloodthirsty genes of all the other Girikos who had come before him. He was just another vessel who would carry on the job of waiting for the return of the heretic witch.

When she had finally returned she had seemed pleased with him at first but when things got ugly in the battle for Baba Yaga Castle she'd abandoned him and left him vulnerable to attack from his own allies, the people who were supposed to be on his side!. He hadn't mattered to her at all! He'd waited his whole life for Arachne, 800 years' worth of lifetimes, and for what?

He'd never had a real friend. Before Arachne came his life was all a show, a lie, a never ending charade. He was forced to obey all the rules and pretend to be a nice guy, a model citizen and it made him sick! All the time there was the anger, aggression and hatred lurking just beneath the surface. No one ever knew this, however, so there were a few people who seemed to like him well enough but they weren't really friends. How could they be when they didn't know the true Giriko? The man they liked was nothing but a lie.

After Arachne awoke and he began to work for her things didn't change much. The other servants of the witch hated him, hated the person that he really was. He was always alone. He'd pretended he didn't mind, but every once in a while he would get lonely and there was nothing he could do about it. It didn't matter if he was playing the part of "good Giriko" or whether he was his true self, the "evil Giriko", it made no difference. No one really gave a shit about him and he knew it! Now here was this dumb kid who for some reason actually seemed to care what happened to him. Rael knew the dark side of him and yet that was what he appeared to like, what he even seemed to be falling for! For once in his life he felt that someone loved him! It was this knowledge that was changing his mind about the handsome young man with his lips locked against Giriko's own.

As soon as he realized this, time seemed to return to normal. The kiss ended and Rael began to slowly move away but Giriko grabbed him and pulled him back into a rough embrace. He took Rael's face in both hands and pressed their lips together in a passionate kiss. Both men let it last a long time. Kess' hands moved slowly to rest on the chainsaw's strong chest and Giriko wrapped his arms around Rael's waist. At last Giriko broke off the kiss and stood smiling down at Rael. "How was that, Ace?" he asked in a playful tone.

The gray-eyed weapon stood there panting for a moment before answering. "It was amazin'!" He blushed ever so slightly before adding, "You're really somethin'… Koko!" His voice was playful when he used the nickname Giriko hated but his eyes said that he was completely sincere.

Giriko just smiled and lay back on his sleeping bag. His leg was throbbing but it was the pulsing of his heart that he cared about. He'd never felt this way! In 800 years, 30 lifetimes, he'd never felt so strange. His ancestors, whose memories were lodged in his mind as clearly as if they were his own, had all fathered children and yet he was certain that not one had ever loved the mother or the child. Families were merely a means to an end. No matter how hard he thought about it Giriko simply could not ever remember really caring for anyone! It felt so alien to him! It was terrifying and yet…

Rael lay down beside Giriko and looked up at the stars above them with a contented sigh. "So," he murmured after a time, "what made ya change your mind? Ya were so uptight before." Kess rolled over and stared into Giriko's eyes, shining with starlight, as he waited for an answer. He'd noticed a change in the chainsaw the other night when he'd gotten him calmed down enough to care for his leg but he wasn't sure why and he certainly didn't know what brought on the passionate kiss a moment ago.

Giriko was quiet for a moment before answering in a hushed voice, "You cared."

"Huh?"

"Nobody's ever cared before. My family never did. That bitch, Arachne sure as hell didn't. I've never had a…" he paused for a moment. It felt so awkward to talk about this stuff. "I've never had a friend before. No one's ever gone out of their way for me before. You did."

"You mean ta tell me dat I'm da only person who's ever been nice ta you?" Rael's eyes narrowed slightly in disbelief.

"People were nice enough when I was pretending to be Mr. Nice Guy but they don't count. They didn't know me. You're different. You care even without the charade."

"Yeah," Rael said softly, "I do." He considered digging deeper into Giriko's statement about his family but he could see it was a sore subject and he'd heard all about Arachne before so he simply decided to end the conversation right there. "We should get some sleep. Dat death scythe kid is still on our tail. We gotta get movin'. I know your leg is hurtin' but I'll help ya. Don't worry. We'll get outta dis somehow." Rael's lips tightened and he looked away for a moment. He didn't seem entirely convinced.

"I know," Giriko said with a little laugh. "Don't they say only the good die young or something like that?" Rael nodded. "Well you and I are safe then. It's that pretty-boy priest that should be scared."

Kess laughed as the fear vanished from his face. "Yeah. Well, like I said we need to get some rest. G'night Giriko." He moved to get up and head back over to his own sleeping bag but suddenly changed his mind. He scooted over beside Giriko and lay down with his head on the chainsaw's chest. "Can I stay here tonight?" He could feel Giriko's body tense up for a moment but then it slowly began to relax.

"Yeah, do whatever the hell you want," was the quiet reply.

Rael grinned and slipped his arm around Giriko and snuggled close. He placed a little kiss on his lover's cheek before resting his head back on his chest. "G'night, Koko," he whispered sleepily as gray eyes blinked closed.

"Good night, Ace" He wrapped his arms around Rael and yawned before closing his eyes and whispering, "And don't call me Koko."

_Once again, a poor job of connecting things. More time has passed and I assume they're getting close to the end of their journey.  
_

"Still sorry you're stuck wi' me?" Rael teased as he gently fingered the silver chain that Giriko always wore.

"Less talking, more massaging," Giriko said and leaned further back into his lover's hands. Kess chuckled and squeezed the other weapon's shoulders a little harder. The chainsaw closed his eyes and let a peaceful smile spread over his harsh features.

Rael didn't have to see Giriko's face to know what expression rested there. He could feel the muscles beneath his hands soften. This caused a gentle smile to cross his own lips. "Nice ta have someone touch ya, ain't it?" Giriko didn't answer so Rael went on as a thought entered his mind. "Hey babe?" Again Giriko didn't reply. Had he gone to sleep? Kess stopped rubbing his shoulders and tried to get a good look at him in the moonlight.

"Don't stop."

"I t'ought maybe ya dozed off or somethin'."

"Nope."

"Den why didn't ya answer me?"

"I told you before. I don't answer to pet names. It's stupid."

"Well you're no fun," Rael said with a little pout in his voice.

"What do you want? I know you didn't bug me just to have a conversation about what to call me."

"Am I… uh…" Rael hesitated, feeling awkward for a moment.

"Can't you talk and rub at the same time?" Giriko muttered. "Are you what?"

"Am I your first boyfriend?" Ace's voice was quiet and serious as he spoke.

"Of course you are," Giriko said with a slightly ashamed look. He still couldn't quite believe he was feeling things for another man.

Rael rolled his eyes. "No, I mean am I your first real relationship _period_, not necessarily just wi' a guy."

"What does it matter?"

"I guess it doesn't really. I just wondered."

"Why? Am I your first?" Giriko asked a bit sarcastically. The habit Rael had of flirting with anything that breathed made him doubt it.

"Well, no, not exactly. I've had a few."

Giriko chuckled. "A few?"

Kess punched him in the shoulder. "Shut up. I'm bein' serious."

The chainsaw turned and socked him back. "I know. That's the whole problem. You're getting all sentimental again. Knock it off! You know I hate that kind of crap."

"It ain't crap. It's a legitimate question."

"That's your problem, boy. You ask too damn many questions. Can't you just enjoy things without a running commentary?" A mischievous grin spread across the weapon's face. "Here I'll give you a demonstration." With that he grabbed Rael by the shoulders and pushed him to the ground, all the while locking their lips together in a passionate kiss.

When his lover finally released him, Rael was panting and his heart was racing. "G-Giriko," he started to whisper but a finger was instantly put over his lips.

"I told you. This is an experiment in enjoying things _silently_." Slowly he removed his finger and replaced it with his lips once again.

Rael loved the strength of Giriko's hands as he held him. He shivered slightly beneath the demon weapon's touch. He savored the warmth of his lips and even the little indentations where his sharp teeth had bitten into them. They were so different from his own thick smooth ones.

Giriko slowly lifted his head and gazed down into the younger man's gray eyes. This time Kess was silent, softly panting, and smiling up at him. "See, now isn't that better?" the chainsaw whispered.

Rael simply continued smiling and said nothing. Giriko's grin widened and his teeth glittered in the starlight. He couldn't quite believe that the American had finally gone silent. Seizing on this opportunity, he placed one more kiss on Rael's lips before taking off the cap he always wore and tossing it across the camp site. With one hand he ran his fingers through the lovely auburn hair that he always teased Kess about wearing too long. His other hand gently stroked his lover's chest.

The whole time Rael had lain there in silence, allowing Giriko to do as he pleased with him, almost as if he were made of stone. Now he seemed at last to come to life and rose up into the chainsaw's arms so that they were now sitting by the campfire wrapped in one another's embrace. Rael slowly moved both hands to Giriko's chest and began to fumble with the buttons. Suddenly Giriko reached up and took Rael's hands in his gloved ones, stopping him. Kess was about to ask him what was wrong but the chainsaw spoke first. "Rael… am I the first… I know you've had boyfriends, girlfriends and all that but…" Giriko's face had gone quite red and for once he seemed genuinely embarrassed by something he was saying. "Am I the first person you've ever…loved?" He spat the word out as if it burned his tongue.

Kess smiled. He knew how hard it was, how frightening, for Giriko to talk about emotions, especially ones as strong as love! This showed a lot of courage on his part and even more than that it showed just how serious he must be about Rael! "Yes," was the whispered reply.

"Really? Wait a minute. What about that witch you used to work for? I thought you said you loved her once." Giriko's eyes had gone ice cold and his tone as well.

"Medusa? Well, I s'pose I did say dat." Kess blushed lightly at the mention of memories he wanted to forget. "I t'ought I loved her but she was just usin' me. Besides," he added in a quiet whisper as he reached out and took Giriko's hands, "I said dat before I started ta care for ya. I didn't know what love really felt like. What I feel for ya is so diff'rent dan anythin' I've ever felt before! Dis has gotta be love!" So saying he leaned over and placed a little kiss on the chainsaw's cheek.

When Rael leaned back Giriko was smiling. He seemed to believe him. How far they had come! When they first met he doubted everything Rael said. He hadn't wanted to talk about anything serious and most of all he hadn't been able to stand Kess. Now Giriko trusted him, cared for him, and was willing to risk feeling stupid to make sure Rael knew it. This knowledge made Kess' heart swell with feeling and he found himself at a loss for words so he simply laid his head on Giriko's strong chest, a huge grin on his youthful face.

"Hey Ace," came a whispered voice after a moment. There was no answer. "What? Now you're the one falling asleep on me?"

"I just don't answer ta pet names." In reply Giriko made a rather rude gesture with his hand and Kess just laughed. "What is it, Giriko?"

"I'veNeverBeenInLoveWithAnyoneBeforeEither!" He spat it out together as if it were all one word and then breathed a sigh of relief. There! He'd finally been able to say it!

"Glad I could be yer first."

"Ditto," Giriko said with a small smile as he used one of the American words Rael had taught him.

"I'm not."

"W-what?" Giriko's eyes were wide. What was this kid on about now?

"I'm not glad dat yer my first. Dat ain't good enough. I'm glad yer gonna be my _only_! I don't think I could ever love anybody else after lovin' someone as wild as you!"

"Whoa, one thing at a time, Ace!"

"Alright. We'll take it slow if dat's what ya want but I hope ya know it's too late ta think about gettin' away from me. Yer stuck wi' me so ya better get used to it." He winked and tapped Giriko on the chest playfully.

"No escape, eh? Well I'll have to make the most of it then, won't I?" There was mischief shining in Giriko's eyes that mirrored Rael's. He reached over and ruffled the younger weapon's hair and then used it to gently pull his head back and plant a fiery kiss on his lips. Rael returned it with all his energy and knocked his lover onto the ground where they both lay panting under the stars.

They were both silent for a moment and then, "I love ya, Koko!"

"I love you too, Ace. Oh by the way, you ever tell anyone I said any of this shit I'll deny it and then I'll kick your ass!"

Rael laughed and shook his head. Leave it to Giriko to downplay everything that had happened between them. "Alright alright. Dis is our lil' secret." He snuggled closer to the crazy chainsaw that he had so utterly lost his heart to. "I still love ya though."

"I know," was the nonchalant reply. "Oh and don't call me Koko."

"Honey?"

"No."

"Baby?"

"No."

"Precious?"

"Absolutely not."

"Doll face?"

Giriko groaned. "Fine. Koko it is."

"Alright. I love ya, Koko!"

"Shut up and just get some sleep. You make me tired just talking to you." Giriko sighed then added in a tiny whisper, "I love you too, Ace."

_Since this was just an exercise I didn't write how they escape from Justin or anything but we'll just assume it was a happy ending and they're sitting on a tropical beach somewhere sipping margaritas and enjoying each others' ridiculousness. Ha ha!  
_


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